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March Issue 2009
Robert Lange
Studios in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Amy Lind
Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, SC,
will present the exhibit, Gaze, featuring contemporary
works by Amy Lind, on view from Mar. 4 - 27, 2009.
At only 25, Amy Lind presents ten new figurative oil paintings in her third solo show with Robert Lange Studios. Focusing on the tension and respite between the viewer and subject, this show continues to display the sophisticated and bold use of color as well as captivating qualities of light that are characteristic of Lind's paintings.
"There is an electric quality within Amy's work that informs every subject that she paints," says Gallery owner Robert Lange. The stunning, large-scale nude, titled Red, depicts a red-headed model bathed in reflections of the compelling red hue that saturates the wall behind her. The subject gazes straight at the viewer, inviting them to connect with the moment. While the model's face is self-assured and confronts the viewer in the eye, she demurely hunches forward, bringing her shoulder in to her chin. Lind masterfully paints the gesture of the figure with a subtle duality between confidence and coyness.
Lange describes Lind's work as "youthful and current yet still deeply rooted in formal practice." Lind's paintings possess traditional and contemporary qualities due in part to her eclectic training. She has studied academic portrait painting at the Florence Academy of Art under living master Maureen Hyde and at the Bay Area Classical Artist Atelier under the tutelage of renowned painter Michael Grimaldi. In addition, Lind received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
In Nostalgia, a 48-by-36-inch oil on canvas, a contemplative subject sits as a glowing light fills the room around her. The piece demonstrates the artist's reverence for the tradition of figurative work, referencing the genre of seventeenth century Dutch painting but with the inclusion of modern elements. "Tarren" also alludes to the present day, picturing a young bohemian woman adorned with a nose ring. Despite the reference to a specific time period, this piece is painted in a timeless manner.
Four paintings in this show depict Lind's current muse, Tarren. Describing the model, Lind says, "she has such a bright spirit, and while she is only 18 years old, she has lived quite a life. I've become so intrigued by her - the form of her body, her attitude and gesture, and the mysterious nature of her features including the depth that exists in her eyes." In San Francisco Light, a 52" x 40" oil on linen, Tarren stands in a bathtub. According to Lind, the reason for the unusual choice is that "the light was so fabulous as it diffused throughout the entire scene; the way the light hits the bathtub and reflects in the door is just as beautiful to me as how it falls on the figure."
Painting in San Francisco offers Lind a distinct quality of light. She explains that "because of the typical overcast sky and fog, the light is so diffused and there is a nice soft grayness to it." While there are many intricate elements in this painting such as the tile wall, the overall composition is rather simple. The intentional choice to include the door cropped by the edge of the painting forces the viewer into the space.
"Lind's work is an exceptional show of American realism. The Florence Academy has clearly influenced her work but unlike many artists whose training can often trap them within a genre, Amy has really broken free to create a completely unique style," comments Lange.
For further information
check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at
843/805-8052 or visit (www.robertlangestudios.com).
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